The Making of Islamic Science

This book provides the necessary background for understanding the contemporary relationship between Islam and modern science. Presenting an authentic discourse on the Islamic understanding of the physical cosmos.

Details

Format: Paperback

Pages: 318

Publisher: Islamic Book Trust (June 1, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10:9675062312

ISBN-13:978-9675062315

Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches

This book provides the necessary background for understanding the contemporary relationship between Islam and modern science. Presenting an authentic discourse on the Islamic understanding of the physical cosmos, Dr Muzaffar explores God?s relationship to the created world and the historical and cultural forces that have shaped and defined Muslim attitudes towards science. What was Islamic in the Islamic scientific tradition? How was it rooted in the Qur'anic worldview and whatever happened to it? This ground-breaking exploration of some of the most fundamental questions in the Islam and science discourse, explores the process of appropriation and transformation of the Islamic scientific tradition in Europe during the three centuries leading up to the Scientific Revolution.

The Making of Islamic Science is an in-depth exploration of the relationship between Islam and science from the emergence of the Islamic scientific tradition in the eighth century to the present time. Conceived as a dynamic nexus affecting some of the most fundamental aspects of science in Islamic civilization, the author identifies three distinct phases of the relationship between Islam the religion and the enterprise of science. The first phase began with the emergence of science in the Islamic civilization in the eighth century and ended with the rise of modern science in the West; the second phase began with the arrival of modern science in the Muslim world in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries at a time when most of the Muslim world was under colonial occupation; and the third phase, which began around 1950 and continues, is described as a more mature approach to the major questions that modern science poses for Islam as it does for all religious traditions.

Based on primary sources, the book presents a panorama of Islamic views on some of the major issues in the current science and religion discourse. Written in accessible language, The Making of Islamic Science is an authentic account of the multi-faceted and complex issues that arise at the interface of the Islamic intellectual tradition and scientific enquiry. Rich in historical details, with a section devoted to extracts from primary sources, the book is a fascinating exploration of the relationship between fundamental Islamic beliefs and scientific investigation of the natural world.